Garment blocking device



May 30, 1939. H. MGKEE 2,160,337

GARMENT BLOCKING DEVICE Filed June '7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @Y mwmll.

ATTORNEYS MayA 30, 1939. H. MCKEE 2,160,337

GRMENT BLOCKIANG DEVICE Filed June 7, 1957 2 SheetSF-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to garment blocking devices, and its general object is to provide a device of that character which is primarily designed for stretching and blocking knitted, boucle, and like garments, to their original, proper or any size desired.

A further object is to provide a garment blocking device of the character set forth, for use with pressing machines and which can be readily supported on the buck of the machine to apply and draw steam to and from the garment.

Another object is to provide a garment blocking device that includes adjustably mounted garment fastening members of various shapes to correspond to the respective portions of a garment, such as the shoulder and waist portions, sleeves, bottom, etc., to stretch and block the garment to the proper shape and size.

A further object is to provide a garment blocking device that includes means to prevent the garment from sagging, as well as means to hold the steam from the pressing machine'with respect to the garment, thereby expediting the blocking process.

A still further object is to provide a blocking device that is light in weight to render the same easy to handle, and garments can be attached and removed with respect thereto in an easy and expeditious manner.

Another object is to provide a garment blocking device that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremely efficient in operation, use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other' features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, rillustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the blocking device which forms the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 2--2 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an edge elevation of the device with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view illustrating a corner portion of the device.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the pin or prong members.

(c1. etz-141) Figure 6 is a similar view of one of the headed bolt members for securing the blocking strips to the frame.

Figure '7 is a detail View of one of the blocking strips.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be noted that the body of my blocking device is in the form of a frame and includes sections I that are shown as being of equal length and are preferably made from sheet metal folded longitudinally to provide channel portions 2 and the ends of the sections are flattened and secured together by bolt and nut connections 3, the nuts thereof being preferably of the wing type as shown to facilitate assembling and disassembling the sections, as will be apparent. The channel portions terminate inwardly of the ends of the sections and provide abutting means for the adjacent sections, for cooperation with the bolt and nut connections for securing the sections against relative movement.

The channel portions include flanges 4 disposed in spaced edge toedge relation to provide longitudinally extending slots and the fianges extend from shouldered portions 5 that provide guideways for the square cornered heads 6 of bolts 'l that extend through the slots, for a purpose which will be later described.

While the sections l are of the same length as shown, to provide a square body frame, it will be 30 obvious that the sections may be of any length to provide a'fraine of any shape, but in any event the inner edges of the sections are perforated to provide openings to receive thread or the like for securing a sheet 8 of substantially porous 35 fabric in stretched condition between the sections of the frame', to act as garment supporting means to prevent the garment from sagging as will be apparent, as well as to allow for the free passage of steam therethrough.

In order to secure the garments with respect to the frame, I employ a plurality of blocking strips of various shapes, and which are used 1n pairs of like shape, as shown in Fig. 1 which illustrate strips used for stretching and blocking a dress, jacket or the like, it being obvious that the strips 9 are used for the upper and lower portions of the dress or jacket and the strips l0 for the side portions thereof. The strip ll as shown in Figure 7 is of the type used for the sides of skirts 0 and the like, and a pair of straight strips can be used for the sleeves of garments.

The strips as shown are likewise preferably made fromsheet metal and each strip is folded longitudinally upon itself in channel formation,

with the folded portions spaced to provide a slot I2 extending longitudinally thereof, as shown. Mounted in the channel of each strip are the prong members I3, that are formed from a single strand of wire, and bent to provide a' frame, as clearly shown in Figure 5, for tting association with the channels of the strips. From the frame portion of the members I3, the strand is further bent to provide a hook I4, of substantially U- shaped formation and the outer arm is tapered to provide a pin I5. The hooks extend through the slots of the blocking strips and of course the pins are all disposed outwardly, as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The outer ends of the blocking strips are provided with openings to receive the bolts I and are held on the bolts by wing nuts I6, consequently it will be seen that the strips are adjustably mounted with respect to the frame sections and are held in adjusted positions by the nuts I6. The strips can be readily applied and removed with respect to the frame sections by moving the same toward the center thereof, in that the channel portions of the sections I are provided with centrally disposed recesses I1 to allow for the easy insertion and removal of the heads 6 of the bolts 1.

The sections are preferably provided with graduations I8 on the front face thereof and adjacent to the outer longitudinal edge as clearly shown in Figure l, and the graduations are numbered, it being obvious that the numbered graduations are for the purpose of facilitating proper adjustment of the blocking strips.

Secured to and extending outwardly from the corresponding ends of parallel sections, are bracket members I9 and 20 for the purpose of receiving a spring wound roller 2l of the same type as a shade roller of the usual construction, and the bracket member I9 is provided with an opening for cooperation with the slot 22 in the bracket member 20 to receive the trunnions of the roller ZI, which has secured thereto a sheet 23 of relatively heavy material such as canvas or the like, to be drawn over the garment to act as a cover therefor When steaming the same, it being obvious that the cover will tend to hold the steam about the garment for a substantially long period of time, thereby resulting in expediting the blocking process.

From the above description and disclosure of the drawings, it will be obvious that a garment to be stretched and blocked is fastened to the pins I5 of the blocking strips, and then the garment is steamed preferably by placing the blocking device on the buck of a pressing machine with the sheet 8 resting upon the cloth of the buck. The sheet 23 is then drawn over the garment, and the steam is released for passage through the sheet 8 for disposal about the garment.

It might be mentioned that all the metallic parts of my garment blocking device are preferably made from metal of the rustproof, noncorro'ding type, and the blocking strips may be covered by cloth or other suitable material.

Any number and shape of blocking strips can be furnished for use with my blocking device, and four straight blocking strips can be used for securing pieces of velvet or other material with respect to the device, as will be apparent. However, my blocking device can be used without the blocking strips, and garments, as well as pieces of material to be steamed, blocked or stretched can be secured directly to the sheet of cloth 8 by suitable means such as common straight pins or the like.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A garment blocking device for use with a steam pressing machine and comprising a frame, garment attaching members connected to and slidably mounted on the frame in bridging relation thereto for adjustment With respect to each other to fit garments of various sizes and for spreading the same between said members, said members being of various shapes corresponding to the shape of various portions of the garments, means for securing said members in adjusted positions on the frame, a sheet of material secured to the confronting edges of the frame for disposal between the same in taut condition, said sheet providing garment supporting means and being porous for the passage of steam therethrough to the garment, and covering means attached to the frame for disposal over the garment for trapping the steam about the same.

2. A garment blocking device for use with a steam pressing machine and comprising a frame including detachably connected sections, guiding means secured to and extending longitudinally o-f each section, a plurality of garment attaching and blocking strips bridging the sections and slidably mounted in the guiding means for adjustment of the strips with respect to each other to t garments of various sizes and for spreading the same between said strips, means for holding said strips in adjusted positions, a sheet of material secured to the confronting edges of the sections for disposing the same in taut condition, and said sheet providing garment supporting means and being porous for the passage of steam therethrough to the garment..

HUGH McKEE. 

